The Steven J. Baum law firm, which last month agreed to pay a $2 million fine to settle a federal probe into bogus foreclosure case filings, has now been barred by federal mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from getting any more referrals of home loan defaults owned by either company.

In addition, the 70-lawyer firm is linked to the first criminal case brought against alleged robo-signers.

The criminal case was brought by the Nevada attorney general against two title officers — Gary Trafford and Gerri Sheppard — charged with forging signatures on 606 foreclosure-related mortgage documents.

17 Q. Okay. And how is LPS paid? Are they paid by
18 the attorney? Are they paid by the servicer who’s
19 asked the attorney to perform that service?
20 A. It depends on the service. For many
21 services, they are — the model that we operate under
22 is a vendor supportive model, “vendor” meaning the
23 attorney office would pay for that service. There are
24 some support services that the servicer pays for
25 directly.
Page 22
1 Q. So in your scenario that you just gave me a
2 few minutes ago, a law firm drafts a document, and it’s
3 sent on to LPS to see whether or not it’s appropriate
4 for LPS to sign the document. The law firm then pays
5 LPS for that service? That’s considered a support
6 service?
7 A. That’s — that’s part of the — Yeah.
8 Correct. That would be one of the support services it
9 would provide, and part of what the fee they would pay
10 would include that activity.
11 Q. Okay. And are there also payments made for
12 using the software and the platform?
13 A. There are payments made. That’s part of the
14 technology agreement. There is a technology fee
15 assessed for each, we call it a referral, but it,
16 essentially, would be a legal action of some sort or an
17 action. It’s not always a legal action. But for every
18 referral type there is a fee, and that fee ranges
19 between $5 and $75, depending on the activity to be
20 performed and the technology in play or processes in
21 play to track it.
22 Q. Okay. So, for example, is LPS paid when a
23 servicer makes a referral to a law firm within the
24 network to do — perform some service?
25 A. Yes. LPS is paid upon referral.

Q. So this doesn’t necessarily mean
3 that someone physically picked up the file
4 from LPS; correct?
5 A. My understanding is that this is
6 a note that automates when the attorney
7 has confirmed receipt through new image.
8 Whether that’s manual or not, I couldn’t
9 say based on the notes. And then new
10 image stamps into the LPS Desktop
11 confirming that NIE ID number 0966 and on
12 was pulled in, those documents were
13 received by the attorney.
14 Q. Does LPS have any employees at
15 the Steven J. Baum law firm?
16 A. Not that I’m aware of.

<SNIP>

Q. This is from the Steven J. Baum
law firm; correct?
3 A. It appears to be.
4 Q. Would you have any reason to
5 doubt that?
6 A. No.
7 Q. And could you tell me what this
8 entry represents.
9 A. To the best of my understanding,
10 they have user has completed a POA
11 requisite data form, exactly what it says.
12 I guess I couldn’t give you a full answer.
13 I don’t manage this process, but it
14 appears they are requesting something.
15 Q. So just start me off, POA
16 underscore requisite, what does that stand
17 for?
18 A. I could guess.
19 Q. Is that a category or a type of
20 document?
21 A. Again, I could guess.
22 Q. I don’t want you to guess, but
23 can you make an educated guess?
24 A. Power of attorney.
25 Q. Who at LPS would have a better
understanding of this process? You said
3 it’s not really you.
4 A. I don’t know.
5 Q. Let’s go to entry two hundred
6 fifty-one dated 11/4/08. User has updated
7 the system for the following. Power of
8 attorney requested, completed on 11/4/08.
9 Do you see that?
10 A. Yes.
11 Q. Can you tell me what that entry
12 is.
13 A. I could give you an educated
14 guess.
15 Q. Go ahead.
16 A. My educated guess would be the
17 attorney has requested a power of
18 attorney.
19 Q. From whom?
20 A. From that note, I couldn’t say
21 for certain. But below the secondary
22 note, it seems to indicate JP Morgan to
23 Scott Walter.
24 Q. Who is asking for that? It’s
25 kind of written in the passive.
Who’s actually asking for the
3 power of attorney?
4 A. Appears to me from the notes
5 that Steven J. Baum’s office is making
6 this request.

<SNIP>

A. It appears to be Steven J. Baum
3 noting the file, memorializing that they
4 have prepared an assignment, they have
5 uploaded it into the LPS Desktop to be
6 reviewed and executed, and that it isn’t
7 back yet.8 Q. What does it mean assignment was
9 received not signed, who’s receiving that?
10 A. I wouldn’t know.
11 Q. Well, do you read this as the
12 assignment is not signed?
13 A. I read it as an assignment is
14 not signed or, let me better state what I
15 meant to say, is that a signed assignment
16 hasn’t been received by Steven J. Baum.17 Which assignment though I couldn’t tell
18 from this note.
19 Q. Would this assignment be signed
20 by LPS; is that what this is saying?
21 A. It appears that the attorney is
22 stating that.However, I can’t tell you
23 whether LPS would have signed this
24 document or not without seeing the
25 document that the note’s referencing.

Q. Okay. Do you know how many — on behalf of
2 how many entities you are authorized to sign documents?
3 A. I don’t have the exact number in my head.
4 Q. Can you give me your best estimate?
5 A. More than 20.
6 Q. Okay. And how often on a daily basis do you
7 execute documents?
8 A. Once a day.
9 Q. And how many do you typically sign a day?
10 A. Less than three.
11 Q. Okay. And can you describe to me the process
12 by which you receive these documents for signature?
13 A. Sure. I am delivered, via an LPS employee
14 courier, a document, and I’m advised that it is to be
15 executed. The group that receives the document request
16 from the agent reviews the document per our protocols
17 and procedures. That document is then determined that
18 LPS can execute the document.
19 Based on the various signing authorities, it
20 will be determined that I will be the one authorized to
21 sign it. It will be delivered to me. I will review
22 the document. I will ensure that I do have signing
23 authority for the document. I will verify that the
24 document is what it says it is. Then while they’re
25 watching me, I will execute the document. It is put
back — it is put into a manila envelope, and it is
2 taken away from me.
3 Q. And when you were signing the document in
4 front of this messenger, is that person the notary?
5 A. I’m unaware if they are the notary or not,
6 but they are within the same department.
7 Q. Okay. Do you ever sign a notary log?
8 A. I don’t recall ever signing one.
9 Q. Do you ever keep track of the documents that
10 you sign?
11 A. No.
12 Q. And I meant personally.

Q. But, for example, looking at this assignment,
document, isn’t the signer, Bethany Hood, attesting to
the fact that MERS wants to assign the Deed of Trust to Indymac Federal Bank?

MR. SPOONMORE: That’s a
mischaracterization, I object. Bethany Hood isn’t
representing; MERS is representing. That’s a gross
misinterpretation of the document.
MS. HUELSMAN: No. Ms. Hood is signing on
behalf of MERS; therefore, she is making an affirmation
on behalf of MERS.
MR. SPOONMORE: MERS is making the
affirmation.
MS. HUELSMAN: She’s making it on their
behalf.
MR. SPOONMORE: Yeah, as MERS is the one
making the affirmation.

Q. So could you please answer the question,
Mr. Allen?
A. MERS is making the reaffirmation.
Q. Mr. Allen, you’re not allowed to parrot
your attorney’s response. Please-

MR. SPOONEMOORE: He’s-
MS. HUELSMAN: –answer–
MR. SPOONMORE: –answered your–
MS. HUELSMAN: –the question.
Are you coaching him, Mr. Spoonmore?
MR. SPOONMORE: No. I’m saying the
premise of your question-
MS. HUELSMAN: well-
MR. SPOONEMOORE: –is–
MS. HUELSMAN: –a speaking–
MR. SPOONEMOORE:–misleading–
MS. HUELSMAN: –objection is providing
your client with an answer –your client with an
answer to a question, and that’s improper.
MR. SPOONEMOORE: Well, and a misleading
legal premise to your question is clearly
objectionable, because this client is not an attorney.
When you represent Mr. Hood is representing, that is
a gross legal mischarachterization of this document. I’m
allowed to correct that.
MS. HUELSMAN: Well, I disagree. When
people sign documents in their capacity as alleged
officers of the company, they are, in fact, making a
representation.
If MERS can figure out how, as a corporation,
which doesn’t exist except on paper, it can can sign
documents itself, then, in fact, it can say it’s
doing so without the assistance of a person.
MR. SPOONEMOORE: Legally it is MERS making the representation. People are authorized to sign on behalf of MERS. That doesn’t make them making the representation; it makes MERS making the representation.

Q. Okay. So when did MERS tell Ms. Hood that
this is what it wanted to do?
A. I would think within the –when granting the
signing authority.
Q. No. When did MERS specifically say to
Bethany Hood, We want to assign our interest in the
Deed of Trust referenced herein to IndyMac Federal
Bank? When did that occur?

MR. SPOONEMOORE: Counsel knows very well
that MERS can operate through counsel, which is their
agent. Again, you’re asking misleading questions of
this witness, and you know it. You know that MERS’s
counsel made this request, and that an agent of MERS.
MS. HUELSMAN: Well, then, you can explain
to Regional Trustee why they they violated their duty to-
to the Deed of trust doc by acting on behalf and as an
agent for somebody when they’re suppose to be acting
as a neutral in conjunction with a foreclosure sale.
Is that your representation, Counsel?
MR. SPOONEMOORE: That’s not us. You can
go after who ever you want, but as far as what we’re
doing, you’re way off base here.

Q. When did MERS give instruction to Bethany
Hood to assign this Deed of Trust? Whether it came
through Regional Trustee or Santa Clause, I don’t care.
When did MERS give this instruction to Ms. Hood?